CNVD-2016-11944 Scanner

Wordpress is a widely-used open-source content management system, especially popular for blogging and website management. It utilizes PHP and MySQL, allowing users to create and manage websites easily. The Twentyfourteen theme is one of the default themes provided by Wordpress, designed with a modern look and additional customization options. The theme is commonly used by Wordpress users for website setup due to its simplicity and style. Users of this theme benefit from a mobile-responsive design, as well as various layout and color options that ease the configuration process. Due to being a default theme, it is often present in many Wordpress installations.

The vulnerability lies in the theme’s improper handling of path information, which can be disclosed to unauthorized users. This type of vulnerability is known as Information Disclosure and occurs when sensitive data is exposed unintentionally due to flawed design or coding practices. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gather path information that might assist in planning further attacks against a site. Such vulnerabilities might arise from improper validation or sanitization of user inputs or insufficient access controls. This flaw can therefore lead to a more complex chain of attacks if not mitigated properly.

The technical details involve sending a GET request to the theme's index.php file. If the site is vulnerable, the server will return a 200 status code along with the path information. The response reveals the server's internal file paths through regex match patterns embedded in the server responses, specifically showing variable dumps in error messages. The vulnerability occurs due to displaying debugging information publicly without proper access controls. The presence of specific code patterns in responses, such as a status code of 200 and certain regex matches, confirm the vulnerability.

If exploited, malicious users can carry out further targeted attacks by utilizing disclosed internal paths as a mapping resource. Understanding the server’s file structure can help attackers in further actions such as injecting files, manipulating uploads, or launching command injection attacks. Consequences of this vulnerability might include unauthorized access to sensitive information, compromising site structure, and creating backdoors for persistent access. The best preventive measure is to patch and regularly update the software to mitigate information leakage and improve security.

REFERENCES

• https://wordpress.org/themes/twentyfourteen/